The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to pomegranate sprouts and preparations derived therefrom and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to the use of same.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is widely cultivated around the world and edible parts thereof have been used extensively in traditional medicines as well as in the food industry. For example, the Chinese have used the pomegranate as a traditional product in anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and homeostasis applications. In the functional food industry, the pomegranate is included in the novel category of superfruits, hence, it comprises an exceptional nutrient richness and antioxidant quality along with an appealing taste.
The edible part of pomegranate fruits (about 50% of total fruit weight) is composed of juicy seeds (arils) that comprise 80% juicy flesh and 20% true seeds. Fresh pomegranate juice contains sugars (i.e. fructose and glucose), organic acids (such as citric, malic, oxalic and tartaric acids), calcium, amino acids (mainly glutamic and aspartic acid), pectin, ascorbic acid and soluble polyphenols [mainly anthocyanins (such as cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside and delphindin-3-glucoside), catechins and other flavonoids, gallic and ellagic acids and their derivatives]. In fact, juice obtained only from arils contains only trace amounts of ellagitannins, but juice obtained from whole fruits, including the peel, is enriched with ellagitannins [Gil et al., J Agric Food Chem (2000) 48: 4581-4589]. Pomegranate seeds are a rich source of lipids, proteins, crude fibers, pectin and sugars. Moreover, the pomegranate seeds contain the steroid estrogen estrone, the isoflavone phytoestrogens genistein and daidzein and the phytoestrogenic coumestrol [Kasai et al., J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (2006) 52(5):383-8; U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,807]. Pomegranate peels are a rich source of phenolics, however, they are very astringent.
Extracts from different parts of the pomegranate fruit including the juice [Gil et al., supra; Aviram et al., Am J Clin Nutr (2000) 71: 1062-1076], the seed [Wang et al., J Nat Prod (2004) 67: 2096-2098] and the peel [Singh et al., J Agric Food Chem (2002) 50: 81-86] have been previously shown to exhibit a strong anti-oxidant activity. Furthermore, pomegranate bark has been shown to be very rich in ellagitannins and gallotannins [Tanaka et al., Chem Pharm Bull (1986) 34: 656-663].
U.S. Pat. No. 6,977,089 discloses pomegranate extracts from whole pomegranate fruits (including inner and outer peels and seeds) for the treatment of atherosclerosis, artery related conditions and to decrease the incidence of stroke or heart attack in patients.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,800,292 discloses dermatological agents comprising a fruit tree extract (e.g. pomegranate) for treating dermatological disorders. The extract may be obtained from the fruit, the skin or rind of the fruit, the seeds, the bark, the leaves, the roots, or the stem.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,818,234 discloses food supplements that contain one or more fruit extracts (e.g. pomegranate) useful for pain relief and anti-inflammation. According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,818,234, the food supplements are extracted from the plants by a process which includes passing a solution (e.g. fruit juice) through an ultrafiltration membrane and then passing through a reverse osmosis membrane.
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